1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drum-type washing machine combined with a drier, and more particularly, to a heater fixing unit of a drum-type washing machine combined with a drier, capable of stably fixing a heater that generates hot blast for drying in an inside of a dry duct.
1. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, a drum-type washing machine is an apparatus for washing the laundry by rotating a drum using a driving force of a motor unit with detergent, washing water, and the laundry inserted into an inside of the drum. The drum-type washing machine has advantages that the laundry is less spoiled, the laundry is not tangled, and beating and rubbing washing effects can be achieved.
Recently, in addition to a washing cycle, a rising cycle and a dewatering cycle, which are essential functions of the drum-type washing machine, a drum-type washing machine combined with a drier capable of performing a drying cycle after completing the dewatering cycle is actively distributed.
The drum-type washing machine has a dry duct and a condensing duct for a drying cycle. The dry duct is fixed to an upper portion of a tub and the condensing duct is installed to a side portion or a rear portion of the tub. The dry duct and the condensing duct mutually communicate each other and so installed as to communicate with an inside of the drum to form a circulation passage of an air.
The dry duct has, in its inside, a heater and a ventilation fan for supplying hot blast in an inside of the drum. Thus, if the drying cycle starts, a power is applied to the heater and the heater generates heat. Simultaneously, the ventilation fan operates and an air floats into an inside of the dry duct. The floating air is heated by the heater and supplied to an inside of the drum.
The hot blast supplied to an inside of the drum heats the laundry to evaporate humidity of the laundry and flows into the condensing duct. The humid and hot blast that has flowed into the condensing duct is dried by condensed water and then flows again into the dry duct. The drum-type washing machine dries the laundry using a closed cycle of the hot blast.
However, the drum-type washing machine according to a related art has the following problems.
In case the dry duct is fixed to the tub as described above, vibration delivered to the dry duct is increased even more compared with a structure where the dry duct is fixed to a cabinet. So, in case the heater in an inside of the dry duct is not stably fixed to the dry duct, a portion that fixes the heater may be loosened by the vibration and a disorder may be generated at the heater or a big noise may be generated due to vibration of the heater.